Supreme risk

Be sure to read these three essays on the worrisome qualities of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, who begins Senate confirmation hearings this week. Perhaps the Boston Globe's commentary puts it best, stating:

His ideology captures everything extremist about the Bush administration. If confirmed, Alito would serve as Bush's enabler. He would give Bush effective control of all three branches of government and the hard-right long-term dominance of the high court.

Given the administration claims of an extra-legal presidency, what's most disturbing is the handy convergence of Alito's own conception of executive power and that of Bush.

Mr. Alito's ascension to the highest court in the land could pave the way for expansion of Executive power and erosion of American civil liberties for a generation to come. His confirmation would virtually assure us of an escalation in the abuses perpetrated against the very core of American democracy by Bush and company, not just for three more years, but for as many as thirty.

It's up to us to let our Senators know that three additional decades of potential SCOTUS support for imperial Executive arrogance must be opposed. The risk to our future as a free nation is too great to ignore.